Samoyed dogs are native to Russia’s north – Siberia. Originally bred as working dogs, today most of them are adorable and loving pets and companions. Here are some interesting facts about these beautiful creatures.
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1. Ancient breed
Samoyed dog breed was bred 3000 years ago in Siberia by nomadic people called Samoyed. They were working dogs that were pulling sleds ( the only way to get around northern Siberia back then), herding reindeer, protecting their humans from wild animals, and keeping them warm during long and freezing Siberian nights.
Samoyed breed is considered to be one of 14 ancient breeds. This conclusion came up from recent DNA testing. Samoyed dogs are a great example of how did the dogs in ancient history may look like.
2. Talkative Dogs
Samoyed dogs were very important for many aspects of their humans’ life so Samoyed people considered them more as family members than simply cattle. That is why they were always surrounded by people.
As a result, Samoyed dogs have a constant need to communicate. Barking is just one of the sounds. They can produce a variety of different sounds that have different meanings. These beautiful dogs are pretty demanding. They require a lot of your attention and will always have something to ”tell” you.
3. Howling – Matter of Genetic
There is no secret about that – all dog breeds howl, that is quite normal. While howling is a natural way of communication the reasons may vary. Dogs will howl because they are in pain, suffer from separation anxiety or they are disoriented for some reason or simply want to get your attention. Dogs can also howl to show how much they love you.
Some breeds howl more, while others do that less. Samoyed dogs are known for frequent howling and researchers attribute it to genetic closeness to wolfs
4. Very Social Dogs
Samoyed dogs always lived in a crowd. There were humans but also other dogs as well. That is why don’t expect your Sammy to be happy in his beautiful wooden house in the corner of your backyards.
Despite the fact that these dogs like cold weather, they don’t like to live outside. They simply need to be close to their humans and to participate in everyday family life.
If left alone outside, they can develop destructive behavior and become very sad and depressed.
It will be also good if you can provide some time for Sammy to spend with other dogs. Maybe you have friends who have dogs or a dog park close to your house could be the perfect gathering spot for canine friends. Bear in mind that Samoyed dogs are pack animals so they really enjoy the company of other dogs.
5. Smiling Face
Besides having that fluffy and luxurious coat, Samoyed dogs have adorable faces. What usually melts any heart is particularly their smiling face.
Samoyed’s muzzle is slightly curved up at the corners of the mouth. That is why these dogs look like they are smiling. But this characteristic has a very interesting purpose which has nothing to do with beauty.
Upturned corners of the mouth keep these dogs from drooling. Although drooling is a normal occurrence in dogs, for Samoyed dogs that used to live in a very cold climate, drooling would be a big problem.
Droplets would quickly freeze and icicles would start creating on Samoyed’s face.
Not that they look like they are smiling, these dogs are friendly creatures with gentle nature. So it not uncommon to see them working as therapy dogs that are trying to bring smiles to the children or elderly people.
6. Herding Instinct
If you have noticed that your Sammy is ”herding” your children, note that this is what is left of his herding instinct.
Samoyeds were loose-eyed working dogs. One of the tasks they had is to herd reindeer. But what is interesting about Samoyeds is that they used their whole body to limit the movement of the livestock, unlike other breeds such as Border Collie that control the situation more with eyes.
7. Odor-free dogs
Despite the big coat they have, Samoyed dogs don’t have that typical canine smell unless they are really neglected and dirty.
Even if they are wet, they don’t smell bad. In terms of grooming, Samoyed dogs are more like cats than dogs but they still need your help and daily brushing in order to keep good looking and healthy coat.
If you notice that your Sammy does stink, visit a vet. Samoyeds can have a bad smell due to different health issues.
8. Zinc Deficiency
Samoyed dogs are prone, like other Arctic breeds to Zinc deficiency. Many Samoyed dogs may appear to be fussy eaters but for some of them, lack of Zinc is the reason.
If Samoyed has Zinc deficiency, he won’t feel the taste of food and will be less interested in eating.
9. Samoyed Fur As Alternative To Wool
Did you know that Samoyed people were using discarded Samoyed dogs fur to make yarn and warm clothing? Even today the luxurious fur of Samoyeds may be used as an alternative to wool ( texture is similar to angora )
But don’t shave your dog in order to collect its fur. That’s not a good idea. Samoyed dogs are a double-coated breed. They have an undercoat and a guard coat. The hair shaft is designed to lose the undercoat twice a year and to replace it with a new one rapidly but the guard hairs are slow-growing and need 1-3 years to regrown.
Other problems that may appear if you shave your Samoyed are burns, skin irritations, overheat etc. The double coat protects Samoyed’s sensitive pink skin, keeps him cool/warm.
